My Girlfriend Taught Me How to Fight
by KC Evans
Summary: AU. Fearing that he was losing his girlfriend, Kenshin was determined to do anything to regain Kaoru's attention ... even if it meant taking kendo lessons. Part II up!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is owned and copyrighted by its respective owners which does not include me.

Warnings: None

* * *

Himura Kenshin normally had excellent concentration to the point of blocking almost everything out except whatever he was studying. Therefore, it was no surprise that Sano had to elbow him rather hard to get his attention. 

"Kenshin? Are you listening to me? Kenshin!"

After a particularly strong jab in the ribs, Kenshin oofed in pain and looked up from the documents he was reading while trying to look like he had been paying attention. "Yes, Sano?" he asked, trying not to look too guilty.

Apparently he failed because the taller man scowled at him before pointing to the middle of the large gym they were at. "Yahiko is up next. Put those papers away before I rip them to shreds."

Kenshin frowned at the threat but silently stuck them back into his briefcase. Sano knew how important his job was to him but he didn't want to take the risk of testing him just in case his friend wasn't joking. Sometimes, he couldn't tell with Sano. "So who is Yahiko's opponent?" he asked, trying to muster up the enthusiasm shared by everyone else in the gym. The large cluster of people sharing the bleachers with them suddenly rose to their feet, roaring with approval as a youth ran out onto the mat. He was dressed in protectors, the guard mask dangling in his left hand and a shinai in his right.

"His name is Fujita Tatsuo. He has two younger brothers and they're all into the competition scene," Sano said absently, his eyes glued onto Yahiko. "Between the three Fujita brothers, I'd say they're pretty dominant in the junior kendo leagues."

"Wow. It sounds like Yahiko has a tough fight ahead of him," Kenshin said, craning his neck as the crowd roared again. Another figure clad in the same protective pads joined the first. Both boys strapped on their face masks and met in the middle where a referee stepped up between them. They bowed to each other and then to the referee.

"Third Round of the Elimination Match. Myojin Yahiko versus Fujita Tatsuo. The first to score three points on his opponent will move on to the Regional Tournament. Fight honorably!"

Kenshin watched as on some unspoken signal, the two fighters began what seemed to be a choreographed dance, weaving in and out of every attack made. He frowned as one of them – he couldn't tell who was who anymore since they were both dressed so similarly – yelled as he simultaneously struck the upper arm with his weapon in a quick, clean blow.

"One point to Fujita Tatsuo!"

Beside Kenshin, Sano groaned. "Come on, Yahiko, get your guard up! Don't let him score such easy hits on you!"

The red-head frowned even harder as they retreated back to the center and began the fight again. "Yahiko hit Fujita twice on the ribs and arm but the referee didn't give him a point."

Sano nodded, not bothering to glance at his friend. "Yeah. In kendo, it's not enough to just hit your opponent. You have to show that your mind, body, and soul are as one to score a point. It's emphasized by the yell that the kid did … Aww, come on, Yahiko!" he groaned. Around them, parts of the crowd also vocalized their disappointment as Tatsuo was awarded another point.

Kenshin glanced around them, wondering what was so exciting about watching two boys smack each other around. How could this be fun? "So is Yahiko losing?" he asked Sano when the stands had quieted somewhat.

"Yeah. If Fujita scores one more point, Yahiko will be out of the competition . I wonder why he's doing so badly. Normally he gives as good as he receives."

Sighing as his friend went back to yelling advice at the youth, Kenshin restrained the urge to inform Sano that Yahiko couldn't possibly hear him over the crowd. Instead, he slumped down on the bleachers. He glanced longingly at his briefcase but didn't dare take his work out again. Sano was getting so worked up about this fight that he didn't know what would happen if the taller man saw he was ignoring the competition going on.

Sure he knew this was important to Yahiko and Kaoru and Sano but he didn't understand why it was so great. Kenshin had never really bothered learning all the rules and he didn't know how he ended up coming to the competition in the first place.

He pictured Kaoru's smiling eyes looking just at him and remembered. Right. Kaoru had asked him if he wanted to come, and of course he said yes since he was a slave to her every request. Plus, he really did want to show his support to Yahiko.

But did it have to be so _boring_?

Sano suddenly shot up to his feet, arm pumping in excitement. "Atta boy, Yahiko! Show him who the better swordsman is!" Other people surged to their feet, chattering gleefully as Yahiko was awarded a point. Kenshin clapped his hands politely and wondered how much longer this was going to last.

* * *

"Congratulations, Yahiko."

"Yeah. Not too shabby, Myojin."

Yahiko glanced up and grinned at Kenshin and Sano as they approached him after the match, slapping the latter a high-five. "Yeah, I was pretty impressed with myself, too," he boasted.

Kaoru threw a towel at him. "Don't be so conceited. You barely won, Yahiko," she said sternly. But even she couldn't hide a smile, exulting at her student's surprise victory.

The boy peeled the cloth off his face and wiped his forehead with it before wrapping the terry around his neck. "Not true. I had everything under control," he said confidently. "I was just waiting for him to let his guard down."

Sano rolled his eyes at Kaoru. "Yeah, sure, kid. And you just 'let' him score two points in a row on you, right?"

"All part of my strategy!" Yahiko insisted.

"Nice job, Myojin." The new voice caused all four to turn around and see Fujita Tatsuo approaching them, followed by a tall, lean wolfish-looking man. He had already stripped himself of his protective armor and was now clad in the standard kendo hakama and gi which was half-soaked in sweat. "I thought for sure I was going to win. It's a good lesson for me to learn not that I shouldn't get too confident in a victory."

Yahiko glanced at his teacher who was smiling at Tatsuo. Sano looked mildly amused at the conversation and Kenshin was frowning at the tall man. Raising his eyebrows in bemusement, the youth turned his attention back to his former opponent. "Yeah, it was a good fight," he said. "The match was really close."

The man put a hand on Tatsuo's shoulder. "We should be getting back, Tatsuo. Your mother and brothers are waiting."

"Right, Father." Tatsuo stuck his hand out to Yahiko and grinned. "I'll get you for sure next time."

Yahiko looked at his hand before his own smile dawned on his lips. He grasped the offered hand and nodded. "Right. We'll definitely have a rematch next year."

Tatsuo waved before trotting off after his father. Kaoru sighed in satisfaction and turned to her student. "Now that's what real sportsmanship is about! Remember, Yahiko, it's not about who wins or loses the match, it's how well you handle yourself. Fujita Tatsuo is an exemplary kendo student who knows the true meaning of the way of the sword."

Yahiko frowned at Kaoru. "So you'd rather I lose to show I can be gracious?"

"What? Are you kidding? You kicked his butt and we're going to the Regionals!" Kaoru exclaimed.

Sano winked at Yahiko. "Yeah, that sounds more like the Missy I know. Come on, Kenshin's going to treat us to a victory dinner. Right, Kenshin?" He slapped his friend on the back heartily.

Kenshin winced under the heavy slam, stumbling forward with a mumbled, "Oro?" Clearing his throat, he smiled weakly at the expectant kendo enthusiasts. "Um, of course! Wherever you want to go, Yahiko and Kaoru."

"The Akabeko!" student and teacher said in unison. "Beef pot!" Yahiko added, practically drooling at the thought of the fresh, spicy meal.

Sano grinned. "Excellent. Hurry and pack up your stuff, guys. It's time to celebrate!"

* * *

With the end of the city tournament, Kenshin figured everything would go back to normal. Sano would continue his freeloading schemes and Yahiko would complain about practice being either too light or too hard. And he and Kaoru would finally spend some time together. She had been so busy preparing her students for the competition and he had been wrapped up with an important client that they had barely seen one another in weeks, even at home.

"So, Kaoru, since I've finished that big project, I'm free tomorrow evening. How about we go out for dinner? We haven't gone on an actual date in a while," Kenshin said with a smile. He was watching her pack for another round of lessons.

Kaoru returned the smile even as she continued to stuff towels into her equipment bag. "I'd love to, Kenshin, but there's a competition tomorrow. I thought I told you about it."

He blinked. Another competition? Didn't they just compete in one a couple of days ago? "No, I don't think so," he said slowly. "Which competition is this?"

"It's actually more like an informal meet until the Regionals next month," Kaoru explained, scurrying around to pick up bandages, athlete tapes, and other first aid articles. "We're going to be sparring at the Tansho Dojo with six other schools whose students qualified to the next round. It'll be good practice for them to get a feel for one another."

"Oh."

There must have been something in his voice because Kaoru looked up from her bag. She seemed to soften and walked over to kiss him on the nose. "I know we haven't seen each other for a while and I'm sorry but with Yahiko's win, it's going to get even busier. As soon as the Regionals are over, we'll spend some time alone together, all right?"

Kenshin forced himself to smile. "Of course, koi. You're taking your duties as the assistant master very seriously and I admire you for that. Don't mind me, I'll just stay home and eat takeout or something." He hoped he didn't sound as pathetic as he did.

Unfortunately - or perhaps fortunately - Kaoru didn't notice as she returned to her packing. "You should do that, Kenshin. You work so hard you deserve a break now and again." She braced her hands on her hips and looked around. "Have you seen the elbow pads?"

"In the linen closet down the hall," he said automatically. Kenshin watched as Kaoru found the desired objects. She finished packing and hoisted the shoulder strap. He was amazed how his delicate Kaoru could be so strong as to pick up such a heavy bag without any effort at all.

"All right, I'm heading out for a practice session. Since I have to drop the kids off at home afterwards, I won't be back until later. Don't stay up for me, all right?" She pressed another kiss on his forehead and hurried out.

Kenshin stared at the closed door for a long moment before he stumbled for the couch. Once found, he sat down on the cushions heavily, inhaling the light jasmine scent that always reminded him of Kaoru. He stared into the air as the same thought kept running and running through his head.

He was losing his girlfriend. And it wasn't to another man.

No, it was to kendo.

Kenshin heaved a sigh at the pathetic thought. Sure he knew Kaoru was very dedicated to the sport, but he didn't know she was going to turn into an obsessive sensei like her father. Had he known that, he would have stayed far, far away from the Kamiya Dojo in the first place.

Well, perhaps not, he conceded. After all, the bank had assigned him to work on the Kamiya account and so he did. Because of it, Kenshin had interacted daily with Kaoru. Every time he met her, she seemed more and more like the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

He just didn't realize he would have to share his Kaoru with kendo. A sport that promoted whacking each other silly with bamboo sticks, no less.

Kenshin wanted to bang his head on something hard but past experience had taught him it would do nothing but give him a huge headache the next morning. Not to mention the bruises. But he had the sudden urge to strike out at something. At anything. Perhaps even the concept of kendo itself which was stealing his girlfriend away from him.

But what he could do? Kenshin would rather cut off his arm than to 'prohibit' Kaoru from following her dreams. He knew how important it was to her and how much she loved teaching her students. It would be selfish of him to demand she give it up just to spend time with him. But he didn't intend to let the sport rule his life. No, he wouldn't give her up without a fight!

But how could he compete? Every time he tried to talk to her, she was too busy running off and going to meets and competitions and spars with other dojos. He could perhaps follow her to every place she went but he'd still be a spectator, staring while she was directing her students or watching matches. How could he turn her attention onto him, short of throwing himself in the middle of the shiai-jo?

Unless, of course, he was the one fighting, haha.

…

"Himura, you are a total baka," he told himself out loud. He couldn't believe the thoughts that crossed his mind. And all to be closer to his girlfriend!

_But isn't Kaoru worth it?_ the part that came up with the suggestion asked. If he wanted to spend more time with Kaoru, why not give kendo a try?

_Because_, the terrified part of him said, _kendo is physical. It _hurts_ when you are whacked in the head or leg or arm with a shinai. It's better to stick with running. Much safer that way._

_Coward,_ the brash part said.

_And loving it,_ the scared part replied.

_Fine, then. Lose Kaoru. Just don't come crying to me when you grow into a bitter, old, lonely man._

_You _are_ me. We'll be alone together._

_…_

Kenshin couldn't believe he was having this conversation – with himself, no less. He really needed help.

* * *

The last straw came when, a week later, Kenshin decided to visit Kaoru at the dojo. He had barely seen her at their apartment since she always left at dawn and came in late, long after he had fallen asleep. To surprise her, he left work early (his co-workers thought someone had died when he announced his early departure and offered many condolences) and picked up Kaoru's favorite lunch: assorted sashimi, miso soup, and onigiri shaped into mice.

Stepping through the front gate, Kenshin gazed up at the old-fashioned dojo, smiling as he remembered his first impression of the dojo, its owner, and the owner's daughter. He had stared wide-eyed at the building until Kamiya Koshijirou came out and demanded that he state his business.

He had been, at first, nervous in meeting the much larger and stronger man but Kenshin had quickly found out the man had a very gentle nature. When Koshijirou discovered he was from the bank to discuss the financial future of the dojo, he had made the younger man feel welcome. But while Koshijirou was an excellent swordsman, he had a terrible head for business. Instead, Kaoru ended up taking care of all the money matters. Kenshin had spent the next two weeks in her presence and found her to be not only attractive but also intelligent, sharp, quick-witted, and caring. He had seen her teach a class as she had attained the rank of assistant master and he was impressed with the patience and love she openly displayed to her students.

Of course, Kenshin being the shy introvert that he was, he could barely bring himself to ask her out. In the end, he had stuttered horribly and Kaoru looked rather confused. Luckily, Yahiko had been listening (some might have called it eavesdropping) the whole time and bounded in, informing Kaoru that Kenshin had been trying to ask her out to dinner.

Much to Kenshin's surprise, she had said yes.

Kenshin couldn't help remembering it as he stood outside the dojo, bento boxes neatly wrapped up in a cloth for easier carrying. Shaking his head free of fond memories, he smiled to himself and stepped up to the engawa, discarding his shoes there to pad inside the dojo.

It was there that he received the shock of a life. Kaoru was at the other side of the room, standing between an open shoji and a tall, dark haired man. They were discussing something intently, from the look on their expressions. Neither noticed Kenshin stopping to stare at them.

Kenshin had never seen the man before. He studied him critically, noting the stranger was dressed in the traditional hakama and gi, colored so black he seemed like a big, black blob. The man had dark hair cropped short though several locks of hair fell in front of his eyes. The dark clothing and hair emphasized the flawless skin of his face, revealing handsome if not stern features. He was lean and trim and was barefoot, as Kaoru was.

Okay, fine, the man was pretty good looking. Kenshin scowled; did he have to stand so close to Kaoru? How could she breathe without practically inhaling him first?

He decided to ignore the clawing green monster at the pit of his stomach. He trusted Kaoru completely.

Suddenly, the tall man stepped even closer to Kaoru until they were nearly nose and chest. Kaoru's petite form was nearly dwarfed by the extremely tall stranger and Kenshin had the sudden impression she was going to be engulfed just by his sheer height. Kenshin took a step forward to protect her.

And the man had the nerve – _the actual gall!_ – to put his hands on Kaoru's waist!

"Get your hands off of her!"

Kenshin was surprised at the loud tone of voice that seemed to rip from him. He hadn't raised his voice in so long it was startling to hear. But once he realized where it was coming from, he decided it was right; how dare that giant of a man touch his koi?

Surprised, both Kaoru and the man broke apart as they turned in his direction. "Kenshin? What are you doing here?" Kaoru asked in surprise. There was no guilt in her voice or anything to indicate that she had willingly allowed the skinny beanpole to put his arms around her.

Kenshin stomped over to the couple and stepped in between them, glaring at the stranger. "I came to drop lunch off for you," he said, without looking at her. He would defend his girlfriend's honor to the end!

"How sweet. Thank you. But Kenshin, I'm over here, not there." Kaoru took a hold of his chin and forcibly turned him to look at her. Kenshin tried to resist but she was much stronger than him. After a few moments of struggling, he finally pretended that he wanted to look at her. "Why are you glaring at Aoshi like that?"

So the tall freak of nature was called Aoshi, was he? Kenshin would show him not to touch what was his! "Because. He laid his hands on you." That's right, Kaoru, go get him now!

Kaoru blinked twice. "And?"

"And he's not allowed to!"

The kendo instructor rolled her eyes as she finally understood his anger. "Kenshin, give it a rest. Aoshi was just showing me some kempo moves."

"Who is he? He can't be a student." Kenshin looked back to glare at Aoshi. Unfortunately, the taller man looked faintly amused, if one could go by the slight tilt of his mouth.

"Kamiya-sensei and my guardian have been good friends forever. I have recently moved to Tokyo and it was suggested I introduce myself to him again, especially since I plan on teaching classes here."

"You're teaching here?" Kenshin repeated. He then looked at Kaoru. "He's teaching here?"

Kaoru's hand twitched with the effort to hold back from whacking her jealous boyfriend on the head. "Yes, he is. Dad wants to expand the dojo to offer different types of classes. Aoshi moving here was a stroke of luck. He started today and with Yahiko entering the competition, I completely forgot about it. Otherwise, I would have told you." She shot him a pointed look.

Kenshin didn't feel much better. After all, he really did trust Kaoru. He just didn't trust 6'2" handsome men who were as interested in the martial arts as Kaoru was.

Evidently, Aoshi seemed to take pity on him because he said more gently, "I have heard you were a banker at one of the local branches nearby. Kamiya-sensei recommended you highly. My wife and I are interested in opening an account with you."

How nice. The Black Giant and his no doubt equally giant wife wanted to give him business. His boss would be pleased, at least.

Wait a minute. Did he say …? "Wife?" Kenshin echoed stupidly.

Kaoru rolled her eyes again, crossing her arms across her chest. "Yes, _wife_. Aoshi and Misao just returned from their honeymoon. Remember the wedding you missed because you had to work all weekend?"

Kenshin did vaguely remember something like that. It was while he had been tied up in that big mortgage project. "Oh," he said lamely. "Um, congratulations."

Aoshi regarded him gravely though there was a spark of laughter in his cobalt eyes. "Thank you. If you are free, Kenshin, perhaps you'd like to meet Misao? She will be teaching classes here as well."

"Sure," Kenshin mumbled, trying not to turn as red as his hair from his mistake. But how was he supposed to know the man was married and an old friend of Kamiya-sensei? What was he, a mind reader?

Still, Kaoru was not going to be happy with him or his actions. After all, he had embarrassed her in front of family friends. Kenshin had a feeling that he was going to get a lecture when they got home tonight.

Unfortunately, he was right.

"I cannot believe you thought so lowly of me that you overreacted like that!" Kaoru exclaimed the moment they arrived home. Kenshin had been completely embarrassed but stayed at the dojo for the rest of the evening. He meekly handled all the paperwork while Kaoru went off to teach her classes. He had also indeed met Aoshi's wife Misao, who turned out to be the same age as Kaoru but with ten times more energy. Aoshi would be teaching kempo while Misao would focus on armed training. Aoshi had informed Kenshin – rather proudly – that Misao was considered an expert in six different weapons.

Misao was only 5'2" but apparently she could snap Kenshin in half with just her pinky finger.

Kenshin couldn't help but remember how Misao had happily recounted her and Aoshi's first meeting together, as newlyweds usually did, with or without permission. They had met at some sort of martial arts competition and realized just how much they had in common.

The only thing that Kenshin could remember he had in common with Kaoru was that they both agreed dumplings were better hot.

He sighed heavily; thanks to his super concentration skills he didn't hear Kaoru rant on about his disrespect for her, especially in front of a fellow teacher and friend. Instead, Kenshin could only think of one thing: if Aoshi and Misao had fallen in love thanks to a mutual love of martial arts, could the same thing happen with Kaoru and some other kendo twit? After all, she was forever going to different dojos for spars and meeting new people in the competitions.

_I told you you're going to lose her_, his inner voice said smugly.

_Oh, shut up_, his other self said rudely.

"Kenshin, have you listened to anything I've said in the past five minutes?"

Kaoru's voice had risen in volume until it startled Kenshin out of his own thoughts. "Oro?" he said intelligently. Yes, he knew there was a reason why he had graduated second in his accounting class at Tokyo University.

Kaoru didn't look happy at his response. In fact, she looked downright ticked off. Kenshin had the sudden urge to hide under the bed.

Well, there was only one thing to do about it: be a man. Kenshin spoke quickly before Kaoru could use his head as a punching bag. "Teach me kendo." A man had to defend himself, after all.

Apparently, the distraction worked. Kaoru blinked several times as she lowered her fist before saying, "Pardon?"

"Teach me kendo," Kenshin repeated, looking straight into her puzzled eyes. He wanted her to know he was serious about this. He only hoped he wouldn't regret it.

"But … Kenshin, what brought this on?"

He shrugged. "I thought maybe it was time to learn what you enjoy doing so much." _And keep an eye on everyone else to make sure no other jerk tries to make a move on you_.

Kaoru studied his face for a long moment before a smile spread across her face. "If you're serious about this, Kenshin, then of course I will! I didn't think you'd be interested in it else I would have offered a long time ago."

He smiled, hoping it didn't look pained. "Well, koi, it must be watching everyone else work so hard that's inspired me, especially Yahiko."

She beamed at him so brightly Kenshin felt better about his decision, even if it was made hastily. "I'm so glad! I thought for a while that you would end up hating kendo because it took up so much of my time. How about we start tomorrow? I could probably squeeze in an intro between the evening classes."

"Sounds great. I'll be there." Kenshin tried to muster as much enthusiasm as possible but apparently Kaoru was so excited she wouldn't have noticed anything amiss.

"Wonderful! I'm going to call my father!" With that, she bounded off to the kitchen to inform her father of the great news. There was hope for him after all!

Kenshin inwardly groaned to himself. Somehow, he had a feeling that he might end up regretting this after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

Warnings: Fight scene. Kenshin being a (loveable) dork.

* * *

Kenshin found out – the hard way – why Kaoru's students were so good. She was ruthless in her teaching methods, pushing him harder than he had ever been pushed in his life. Kenshin usually ran two miles every day in the morning and considered himself to be in fairly decent shape. But the warm-up regiment Kaoru made him go through put a new spin on what healthy was. 

She demanded perfection and practice until that perfection was achieved. Gentle and encouraging, she also displayed a ruthless edge Kenshin had never known existed in his loving girlfriend. He was actually a bit frightened at disappointing her and worked harder to improve the basic skills.

And this was all in the first lesson.

After what Kaoru called the introductory lesson ended, Kenshin limped to the side of the room where he collapsed. He could only watch as the intermediate class slowly filtered in. Luckily, no one had seen him during his lesson though a few students cast him curious looks as to why he was panting and sweating so heavily.

Kenshin leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath as he watched the students arrive. Kaoru smiled and greeted the eleven students by name and called on someone to start the warm-up. Much to his chagrin, Kenshin noted that the warm-ups were similar to his but doubled in quantity. And they all kept up easily. How embarrassing.

Someone flopped down next to him and Kenshin turned his head, startled by the sudden movement. "Awesome, they're starting, Aoshi," Misao said excitedly, nearly bouncing from her seated position.

"Aa." Aoshi, more dignified in his movements, was sitting up straight without touching his back to the wall.

"Have you ever sat in one of Kaoru's classes, Kenshin?" Misao asked, turning her head to face the red-head.

"A few times," Kenshin acknowledged. He didn't add that most of the time he was too busy staring at Kaoru to concentrate on the class; hence his lack of knowledge about the sport.

"That's awesome. I've seen a few kendo classes myself but this is the first time I'm seeing Kaoru in teaching mode. She's pretty good, we sparred with weapons one time and she beat me with an awesome finishing move." Misao pretended to swing an imaginary shinai and flailed her arms around, causing Aoshi to duck out of the way. "It was that move that gave her the promotion to assistant master."

"A testament to your skills that Kaoru had to use it at all, I'm sure," Kenshin said politely.

Misao beamed at him while Aoshi turned his head slightly and raised his eyebrows at Kenshin, seemingly bemused by the shorter man's response. "You're a nice guy, you know that, Kenshin? I'm glad Kaoru has a boyfriend like you." In a gesture that was supposed to be maternal but came off odd because Misao was younger than Kenshin, she patted his cheek gently. "A lot better than all the guys I see flirting with her at competitions."

Kenshin's eyebrows shot up and he straightened his groaning body to focus on Misao. "Other guys?" he echoed, trying not to sound too interested – or jealous.

"Oh, yeah, they're over her like bears on honey," Misao said, waving her hand dismissively. "Women are still a minority in the martial arts and someone who's as skilled and beautiful and smart as Kaoru is bound to be noticed by all the guys." She then smiled kindly at Kenshin, apparently oblivious to his growing agitation. "But you don't have to worry since Kaoru isn't interested in any of them. She lets them down gently, of course, but she always refuses them."

"How … good of her," Kenshin said through gritted teeth. Jealousy, anger, and the slightest bit of fear ran through his body. If he lost Kaoru, he didn't know what he would do. He _had_ to do well in kendo, if only to keep his relationship with her! "Excuse me, I think I'm going to go stretch and train a little bit more," he said to the couple. With the slightest of winces, Kenshin staggered to his feet and slipped out noiselessly so he wouldn't disturb the class.

Aoshi watched the red-head leave before turning his head to look down at his wife. "Are you certain saying those things to Himura were wise?" he asked her softly. "He's already anxious about their relationship."

Misao smiled up at Aoshi smugly. "It's just a little push, no harm done. And anyway, it's not like I said anything that wasn't true."

"Your plan could backfire on you."

Scoffing at the very idea, she waved away Aoshi's concerns. "All Kenshin has to do is be himself. I just gave him a little more incentive to be on his best behavior."

Aoshi merely shook his head in resignation before leaning down to press a kiss on Misao's head. He pitied Himura for being caught in Misao's trap without realizing it.

* * *

"So I heard you've taken up kendo lessons. I just have one question to ask you."

Kenshin didn't bother looking up from his sprawled position on the couch, finding it too much of an effort to lift his head and face his friend. It had been another long day at the bank. Coupled with an hour of kendo lessons and several additional hours of practice alone, he was ready to sleep for a week. And here he thought training was supposed to get easier. "What would that be?"

Sano's face suddenly appeared, hovering so close to him Kenshin had to blink twice to focus his gaze. "Are you insane? You _know_ how hard the Missy drives her students!"

Actually, Kenshin hadn't known. It was just another reason to regret not watching a class before getting himself into this mess. Apparently, the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu was dead serious about constant training. Manfully stifling a groan, Kenshin sat up, forcing Sano to sit back on his haunches. "I think it's worth it," he said. He was fibbing slightly but he couldn't complain since he had brought this upon himself.

Sano studied his face intently. "Why are you doing this anyway?" he finally asked. "I thought you hated fighting or any idea of violence."

"I do."

"Then why are you putting yourself through this torture? Face it, Kenshin, you're not exactly getting younger. All this training has got to be harder on you than it is on Yahiko."

Kenshin scowled at his friend. "I'm no that old," he said through gritted teeth. Okay, so he was no spring chicken, but it wasn't like he was knocking on death's door. He never had a reason to be very sensitive about his age before; perhaps he was now because his classmates were six year olds.

Sano rolled his eyes. "Fine, you're a sprightly youth with centuries ahead of you. So stop dodging the question and tell me: why are you doing this?"

Kenshin sighed and swung his feet to the ground, wincing as a particularly vicious stab of pain worked its way up his left thigh. "Because I thought this would help Kaoru and me to grow closer together," he said simply. Taking a deep breath to ready himself for movement, Kenshin pushed off the couch and wobbled to his feet before shuffling to the kitchen. Much to his chagrin, Sano followed him.

"Why? Is there something wrong between you two?" While Kenshin set up the kettle to boil the water, Sano wandered towards the refrigerator and opened the lower door, sticking his head inside. "I thought things were going well. In fact, Yahiko and I have bets on when you're going to pop the question. By the way, I'm losing so hurry up and ask her already, willya?"

Kenshin grimaced, wishing his nosy friends would stay out of his personal business. "Everything _is _fine. It's just that we haven't spent a lot of time together recently so I thought this would help our relationship. I mean, kendo is Kaoru's life and I want to share in a part of that."

Sano snorted as he pulled out an apple from the drawer. Shining it on his shirt, he took a huge chomp out of it before chewing noisily. "You really think a half-hearted effort is going to bring you and the Missy closer? I think all that boring numbers work you do is scrambling your brain, Kenshin."

"Martial arts brought Aoshi and Misao together," Kenshin pointed out.

"Yeah, but that's also because the weasel-girl is a tenacious little thing who goes after whatever she wants until she gets it. Shinomori never had a chance." Sano took another bite of the fruit and eyed his friend thoughtfully. "And what do they have to do with you and Kaoru, anyway?"

Kenshin sighed as he opened a cupboard to pull down a mug and a bag of tea. Apparently Sano wasn't going to give up until he told him everything. "There are a lot of guys in kendo. A lot of single buff guys."

Sano nearly choked on the apple and had to beat his chest to dislodge the piece stuck in his throat. "What?" he rasped out. "Are you jealous?"

"I'm not jealous!" Kenshin said defensively. "I'm just … being protective, that's all."

Chortling in glee, Sano grabbed another mug and teabag from the cupboard before his friend could close it. "You are soooooo jealous! Man, this is rich!"

Kenshin scowled at his smirking friend, turning off the stove as the kettle whistled to signal its readiness. He poured hot water into both cups before setting it back down on the stovetop. "I'm not jealous," he insisted.

Sano stopped laughing enough to grab his mug and follow Kenshin back to the living room. He plunked the cup down on the coffee table and watched his friend gingerly ease back onto the couch with a relieved sigh. "Listen, Kenshin, you know you've got nothing to worry about, right? No matter how buff or cute the guy is, she loves you, calculator and all. Otherwise, she wouldn't be with you."

"I'm not worried! I just thought this was a good way to spend time with one another!" Kenshin said indignantly. "And stop making fun of my calculator if you ever want me to do your tax returns again."

Lifting his free hand up in a gesture of surrender, Sano chomped on his apple some more. "I'm just saying you don't need to do something like this to impress her. She's crazy about you and would love you even if you hated kendo."

Kenshin eyed his friend skeptically.

"It's true!" A sly smile worked its way onto Sano's lips. "You know, if you _really_ wanted to make sure she'd never leave you, you could always just ask her to marry you."

Kenshin stared at his friend, aghast. "Sano! Are you just saying that so you can win a bet?"

The taller man frowned. "Of course not!" He looked away guiltily.

They shared the silence for a long while as Kenshin pulled out the teabag and took a tentative sip of the hot drink. Normally, he would have used the loose tea herbs but with his job, his kendo lessons, and additional training on his own, he hadn't had the chance to go shopping yet. The cupboards and refrigerator were nearly empty. Not that Kaoru noticed. She still spent up to fifteen hours at the dojo, coming home only to sleep, shower, and change, before heading right back out.

Kenshin sighed morosely, his chin lowering until it rested on his chest. He missed holding his girlfriend and taking her out to dinner. He disliked having to share her with other people, especially when those people were allowed to see her more than he was. The gulf between them seemed to be widening and there was no way to stop it from growing bigger.

Sano glanced at the quiet red-head, frowning as he noted the other man's depression. He wasn't quite sure why Kenshin was in such frenzy about losing Kaoru. After all, it wasn't as if Kaoru had said or done anything to indicate she wanted to break up with him. Still, she had been quite busy, even too busy to nag Sano about his bum status. "So how long has it been since you started kendo again?" he asked his friend cheerfully.

Startled from his thoughts, Kenshin glanced up. "Um, about three weeks."

"Cool. So what do you think about it so far?"

Kenshin shrugged. He still didn't see the appeal about whacking an opponent around with a bamboo sword. "It's all right. We just started on basic training with a shinai. Kaoru's tough but she's also very thorough. She wants us to perfect each kata before we move on to the next one."

"Yeah, the Missy can be a real perfectionist when it comes to those swings. But she's also really good at bringing the best out in each student. Kamiya-sensei is, too, if you ever get to learn under him."

"I don't think I'll be ready for him any time soon," Kenshin said dryly. Kaoru's father usually taught the students in the advanced classes while Kaoru concentrated on the beginner's and intermediate level. He couldn't fathom going much farther than the beginners section; he wasn't sure if he could survive.

"I'm thinking about taking kempo lessons under Aoshi," Sano continued cheerfully. "His hand-to-hand combat is pretty good for a guy who only has one facial expression."

"I think he won the national title several times before he retired. Kaoru was talking about his wins earlier." Kenshin sighed, staring moodily at his tea. It was no use. He could practice day and night and he still wouldn't be good enough to impress Kaoru. How could he even compete with guys who had been practicing martial arts since before they could even talk?

Sano eyed his friend. Apparently, talking about this wasn't helping Kenshin any. "Yeah, well, you're a great accountant, you know. Didn't you say you won Employee of the Month twice this year already?"

Kenshin shrugged carelessly. "Four."

Recoiling at the number, Sano stared at his friend. "You really need to stop being such a workaholic, Kenshin." When there was no response to that jab, Sano started getting worried. It wasn't like Kenshin to be so listless and depressed. He wondered what he could say or do to make his friend feel better.

Then a brilliant idea popped into his head.

Sano smiled slyly. If he played his cards right, not only would Kenshin snap out of his funk but he would be all that closer to winning the bet he had made with Yahiko. "Say Kenshin," he sang out, sitting up to face his friend directly. "You're worried about not spending enough time with the Missy, right? What if I told you I've got a plan to fix that?"

Kenshin glanced at his friend's mischievous face and frowned. "I won't have you break Yahiko's leg so he can't compete in the tournament, Sano."

"Hey, I wouldn't do that!" Offended by the comment, Sano glared at him. "My plan is much more subtle than that, thank you very much!"

Despite his dour mood, Kenshin had to smile. Sano and subtle didn't exactly go together. "All right, so what exactly is this plan?"

That same devious smile was back in place. "Exactly how well do you know your katas?"

* * *

"Keep going, you've got twenty more to go!" Kaoru called out, keeping a stern eye on her students. She paced along the three rows, watching each child carefully to check their form. She made the occasional adjustment by kicking their leg out farther or straightening their arm to the proper distance.

Then she moved on to Kenshin.

The dear man was vainly trying to keep up with the increasingly rapid pace of the other children, all of them at least twenty years younger than him. He would bring the shinai down easily enough, only to lose his form in the middle of the kata. Kaoru had to bite her lip from smiling at the adorable picture Kenshin made. His fierce expression of concentration coupled with barely leashed frustration was too cute. It was the first time she had ever seen him so flustered; Kenshin was able to pick up on things so quickly it was probably hard for him to realize that he was so far behind the others.

Kaoru stepped up to Kenshin and watched him as he swung the shinai down. She could immediately see where his form started to unravel. "Kenshin, remember to keep your elbows in place. Firm your muscles so it's not locked into position but it's strong enough to take any impact. If you don't do it correctly, your shinai will fly out of your hands when you hit something."

"I'm trying to remember everything, Kamiya-sensei, but it's really hard." He slanted a sideways glance at her, those violet eyes gazing earnestly into her blue ones.

Kaoru swallowed hard at the sudden note of entreaty in Kenshin's voice. And he had called her Kamiya-sensei. He had never called her that before. Of course, he had never addressed her in class before, either. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach and she had to firmly restrain herself from tossing the shinai from his hand and kissing him right here and now, in front of her students.

"I mean, I think I get the idea, but it's hard to do."

Jerking her mind back to the situation at hand, Kaoru nodded and smiled what she hoped was a kind but firm smile at her boyfriend. "I understand, Kenshin, but if you can't do it well in class, that means you haven't been practicing enough at home. You need to put more time and effort into your katas if you want to keep up with the rest of the class."

Kenshin gritted his teeth while trying to nod and look sincere. Not practice enough at home? Hah, he probably did more than the rest of the class combined! "I'll remember that, Kamiya-sensei. I'm sorry."

Kaoru nodded and smiled at him. She had forgotten how cute Kenshin was in his I'm-so-sorry-I-messed-up mode. She made a mental note to reward him later for being such a good sport. After all, not anyone could take being criticized by their girlfriend in a room full of six-year olds.

Kenshin went back to his katas with extra vigor, a look of fierce concentration on his face. Kaoru watched him carefully. As before, his right elbow started to turn out so she moved it back into place. Unfortunately, Kenshin apparently wasn't expecting the motion and his swing went wild and to the left. It connected with the shinai of the child next to him and caused him to stumble into the child next to him and …

Kaoru covered her face with her hands. The entire back row was now on the floor, moaning in pain and surprise. The rest of the class stopped and turned to stare at them.

She heard a snicker behind her and Kaoru glanced up to see Misao, Aoshi, Sano, Yahiko, and her father standing in the doorway, watching. Predictably, Sano, Yahiko, and Misao were trying not to laugh. Even her father's lips were twitching as he valiantly held back his amusement. At least Aoshi looked as stone-faced as usual.

Kaoru sighed. "Class dismissed," she said wearily.

She helped the fallen students untangle and right themselves back onto their feet. But Kenshin, cheeks stained a deep crimson, just ran out of the room before Kaoru could say anything.

"You'd better go after him, Kaoru." Koshijirou approached his daughter with a kind smile. "Yahiko and I will finish up here."

Yahiko stopped laughing abruptly. "We will?" he asked in disbelief. He hated helping the annoying kids who yelled and whined as they tried to find their shoes and bags.

The kendo master glared at the youth. "We will," he said firmly. Yahiko grumbled but subsided in saying any more.

"Thanks, Dad." Planting a quick kiss on his cheek, Kaoru took off after Kenshin.

The three remaining people watched Kaoru leave before turning their attention back to the chaotic scene in front of them. "Well! That was … interesting," Misao remarked as she leaned against Aoshi, surveying the dozen children flocking around the panicked Yahiko.

"Himura seemed far more careless than usual today," Aoshi noted, automatically putting an arm around his wife. He glanced at the very amused Sano standing next to him in his classic slouched position. "I wonder what happened. He seemed to know the katas perfectly last week."

"It's a real mystery, isn't it?" Sano agreed, striving for his best innocent look. "I can't imagine a reason for it, either."

Misao looked up and smirked at Sano. "No idea, huh?"

He couldn't help it; a sly smile crept onto his lips as he watched Yahiko yelp in terror as someone tackled him to the ground from behind. Immediately, all the children began converging onto him like vultures on food. "None whatsoever," he agreed.

* * *

He was going to kill Sano for making him look like a complete idiot in front of Kaoru and the rest of class. "'Trust me, Kenshin, you'll get Kaoru's attention fast if you just mess up a little'," he mimicked Sano's voice in a high falsetto as he raced along the hallway. "Foolproof? Ha!" He finally made it to the backyard of the dojo, ignoring Kaoru's calls for him to stop. He paused a moment to look around for a place to hide when a firm hand closed on his shoulder, yanking him in place.

"Kenshin, will you please look at me?"

How in the world had she caught up to him so quickly? Not only was his girlfriend stronger than him, but apparently she was faster, too. He quickly averted his gaze from her, hunching his shoulders over. Kenshin didn't have to pretend the misery that he felt. _That is the last time I listen to Sano's advice_, he told himself wearily.

"Kenshin." The compassion and love in her voice was almost too much. She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her cheek on his stiff back. "It's all right, it could have happened to anybody."

"I don't think anything like that has _ever_ happened to anybody," Kenshin said dryly. Despite the embarrassment, he savored her body heat, the familiar form leaning into his.

Kaoru chuckled quietly. "Maybe not," she admitted, "but you have to admit it was kind of funny. And the kids had a good time, too. They love their Ken-nii-san."

"Even if he caused the entire back row to fall over?" he sighed.

Her arms tightened around his waist. "Even then. And you know what?"

"What?"

Kaoru lifted her head until she could speak softly in his ear. "Their sensei loves him, too."

All his previous insecurities washed away like rain cleansing the earth. Kenshin slowly relaxed, savoring the feel of Kaoru against him as much as her words. Perhaps he was being foolish; how could he even think that she would leave him for someone else? He finally turned around and drew her closer until their bodies molded together. In the darkening twilight, Kaoru's azure eyes were like dark velvet, soft and loving. It was a sight he never wanted to forget. "I have a little secret," he whispered.

She smiled knowingly and rested her hands on his shoulders. "What's that?" she asked.

Bringing his lips close to hers until they were hovering mere centimeters apart, Kenshin said, "I have a crush on the sensei, too."

Kaoru smirked at him. "How inappropriate," she purred. "The sensei-student relationship is very sacred. Nothing should come between that."

"Really, Kamiya-sensei?" Kenshin breathed, tightening his grip on her waist. "Nothing?"

The kiss they shared was gentle and soothing, a soft brush of lips against lips. It reaffirmed Kenshin's feelings for Kaoru and reminded him just how precious she was to him. Maybe Sano was right. Maybe it was time to finally to finally ask Kaoru to share the rest of her life with him. He couldn't imagine wanting to do that with anyone else. And if his friends were starting to bet on how long it would take for him to ask her to marry him, perhaps he dawdled too long. After all, women wanted commitment and Kenshin knew if he lost Kaoru because he couldn't get the nerve to ask her, he would never be able to live with herself.

He had no ring but so what? Kaoru deserved to be asked the question as soon as possible. Besides, he would get one tomorrow, the biggest diamond he could find and afford. All those months and bonuses for being Employee of the Month were finally going to come in handy.

"Kaoru," he started as they broke apart. The love shining in her eyes was enough to make his knees go weak. Which was okay since he had to kneel anyway. Slipping his arms from her waist, Kenshin shakily got down to his knees, holding her gaze. He swallowed hard, seeing her eyes widen as the impact of what he was doing sank in. "Kaoru, my beloved heart, my missing half, I …"

"There you are! Hey, Busu! Kamiya-sensei wants you back in the practice room right now!" Yahiko burst into view and skidded to a halt as he observed their positions. He blinked. "Um, oops. Did I ruin something?"

Kaoru threw Yahiko a death glare. "Yes, now _go away_," she said through gritted teeth.

Yahiko looked torn, hesitating for a moment. Then he sighed. "Sensei needs you back right now. The Ibu Dojo is here for the practice you set up a couple of weeks ago."

Kenshin noticed the conflicting emotions playing across Kaoru's face and he sighed deeply. Maybe it wasn't meant to be after all. He climbed back up to his feet and squeezed her hands gently so she faced him again. "Go ahead," he said quietly. "I know how important this is to you."

The regret in her eyes caused his heart to lurch. "Kenshin," she whispered.

Kenshin tried to smile reassuringly at her. "We'll have time to talk later. Now, go." He gave her a gentle push towards Yahiko.

Kaoru gave him one last look. "We can talk later tonight," she promised before turning to head back.

Kenshin tried not to notice Yahiko's sympathetic look before the youth disappeared after his teacher. It was a sad day when he had to be pitied by a twelve year old.

* * *

Kenshin wasn't surprised when Kaoru didn't show up until late at night when he was already in bed, pretending to be sleeping. She didn't even attempt to wake him up. Instead, she took a quick shower and slid in next to him before promptly falling asleep, hair still wet. He could feel the weariness radiating from her body as she slowly relaxed into the mattress.

Kenshin sighed. He couldn't be angry at her for doing something she really loved. This was Kaoru's first year of teaching her own students and to have Yahiko win the city tournament was a big deal. Even Kenshin knew that the youth was talented enough to at least make it through the Regionals. How could he begrudge her of the excitement and pride of going through all this?

Still, he couldn't help being annoyed at the interruption in the middle of his proposal.

He eventually dropped off in a light doze only to awaken when someone shook him gently. "Hmm?" he mumbled.

"Kenshin, are you up?"

Blearily opening his eyes at the familiar voice, Kenshin tried to focus on Kaoru. Behind her, the window showed the grey streaks of dawn just beginning to appear over the city skyscrapers. He usually got up to run his two miles before going to work but even this was excessive for him. "Huh?"

"Sorry to wake you up but I need a favor."

If Kaoru got up at this hour every day, no wonder she was so tired all the time. He knew she trained Yahiko in the morning before school but this was ridiculous. "Hmm?"

"Can you pick up Yahiko at home and walk him over to the dojo? I have to leave early and set up for our sparring match this morning."

Kenshin blinked a few times, his brain still asleep. "Work?" he mumbled.

Kaoru smiled at him. Or at least it looked like a smile through his groggy vision. "It's Sunday."

"Oh. Okay."

"Thank you." She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. "We can talk afterwards," she said softly before sliding out of bed.

Kenshin stayed in bed, half listening to the running water as Kaoru took a shower. When she finished, he forced his stiff body to slide out of the warm covers to wash up as well. By the time he pulled on his clothes, Kaoru was ready to leave.

"Don't forget you have a lesson yourself later on," she reminded him. "I packed your equipment for you."

"Thank you," he said, watching her shoulder the enormous bags. Kaoru flashed him a smile and sailed out the door, leaving Kenshin to stare at her, somewhat dumbfounded. He knew he was still half asleep but something was going on. Kaoru had acted as though nothing odd had happened the night before.

"I don't get it," he mumbled to himself. With a shrug, he went to get dressed. Kaoru was counting on him and he wouldn't let her down.

Twenty minutes later, he walked up to Yahiko's door which opened before he could knock. "You know I don't need a babysitter, right?" the youth complained as he stepped outside. Shutting the door behind him, he readjusted his bag, similar to Kenshin's, on his shoulder. "I'm twelve years old! I think I can walk myself to the same dojo I've been going to since I was eight."

"Your sensei just wants to make sure you're safe," Kenshin said soothingly as they started down the walk. "Let's wait another year before we talk about that, eh?"

"Everyone else in my school walks alone," Yahiko grumbled. "I don't see why Busu has to act all concerned when she sees other kids my age wandering around without any grown-ups."

Kenshin chuckled. "But all those other kids aren't her prized student, are they?"

"Che," Yahiko muttered but the red-head could detect a hint of red staining his cheeks at the praise. He cleared his throat. "So, um, about yesterday …"

"None of your business," Kenshin interrupted. He gave Yahiko a kind but firm smile.

Yahiko eyed the smile for a moment before giving up. "I never get to have any fun," he said under his breath.

They walked in companionable silence until they neared the dojo and noticed a crowd up ahead. Curious, Kenshin craned his neck to see what was going on until he heard a familiar voice.

"Let me go!"

Yahiko and Kenshin exchanged wide-eyed glances before breaking into a run. They broke through the crowd rudely, jostling everyone until they could see Kaoru struggling against a tall man who was gripping her arm.

Kenshin's heart lurched as his stomach roiled uneasily. What was going on? Kaoru should have been at the dojo by now, safely ensconced in her office and away from circles of thugs.

While Kenshin froze, Yahiko jumped in and darted between the man and his teacher. "Let her go," he ordered, smoothly drawing out his shinai.

The man, a tall, scraggly thug with a tattoo of a skull on his right bicep, sneered at the boy. "And what's this? A wanna-be hero, eh?"

"Yahiko, get out of here, this is dangerous," Kaoru ordered him, trying to free herself from the man's grasp to little avail.

"Oh, yeah, we're dangerous, all right." Skull yanked the kendo master closer to him and inhaled her scent deeply. "You have no idea how dangerous," he murmured appreciatively.

Kenshin's hand twitched at the sight of some disgusting brute being so close to his girlfriend. But before he could react, Yahiko thwacked the gang leader hard on the fingers that gripped Kaoru with his shinai. "Get your filthy fingers off of her!" he shouted.

Skull yelped in pain and slacked his grip on Kaoru. Taking advantage of the distraction, Kaoru yanked her arm free and stepped back away from him. "You're trespassing on private property. Please leave," she ordered sternly.

Skull growled in anger while the rest of the gang muttered amongst themselves. Kenshin tensed, sensing the tension in the air growing thicker. The instant he realized they weren't going to just up and leave quietly, they attacked Yahiko and Kaoru simultaneously.

Almost instantly, there were twin howls of pain as the teacher and student repelled two of the hooligans from grabbing them. But two more took their place and Kenshin could see Yahiko beating them back with his weapon. Kaoru grabbed the arm of her attacker and did some sort of twisting motion that suddenly caused one thug to land hard on his back – she probably picked that up from Aoshi, Kenshin thought dimly.

Despite their best efforts, however, Kenshin knew there were too many people and Kaoru wasn't even armed. Almost woodenly, he unslung his kendo bag and opened it, drawing out two bamboo swords. Taking a deep breath to calm his thudding heart, he carefully stepped into the fray.

With a few well-placed cracks on their heads, Kenshin cleared a slight path to get to Yahiko and Kaoru who were pressed together, back-to-back. "Kaoru!" he yelled and threw the shinai at the kendo teacher before turning his attention to the other thugs.

His body moved mechanically, recalling all those hours of going over each kata until it was automatic. But even if he remembered each exercise correctly, he could only focus his attention on one opponent at a time and sometimes caught a foot or hand in his kidney, chest, arm, or face. Kenshin fought back as best he could, using his strength to full advantage to discourage some of the bolder ones from returning after they nursed their bruises. Next to him, Yahiko swept his shinai through the thinning crowd with a feral grin on his face.

Adrenaline pumped madly through his veins as Kenshin desperately fought on, his fear adding to the intensity of his hits. The roar of blood drowned out the shouts and grunts of pain surrounding him until he felt as though he disconnected from his body and watched himself move back and forth, trying to avoid getting hit while attacking others.

Kenshin grimaced as someone crashed into him from behind and rewarded the body with a sharp elbow to his ribs. As they grunted and lurched back, Kenshin spun on his heels and smacked his weapon solidly across their temple. Someone grabbed his right arm yanked it so hard his shoulder cracked. But Yahiko noticed and rammed the rounded end of his shinai right into the assailant's stomach so that he promptly let go of Kenshin.

Kaoru moved gracefully through the sea of thugs, wielding the borrowed shinai like a true warrior. She hit them only once or twice and they stayed down or out, noticing instinctively that she was no beginner like Kenshin or even Yahiko.

And then Kenshin heard someone shouting his name. No, someone shouted his name and added words of encouragement. Something like, "Cream him, Himura! Smack him a good one on his schnoz!"

Confused, Kenshin looked around and spotted Misao standing a few feet away from the brawl. She grinned and waved to him before cupping her hands around her mouth and bellowing out, "Behind you!"

Too late. Kenshin grunted as someone slammed right into his kidneys, causing him to stumble forward with a pained grimace. But instead of stopping, they shoved him again and Kenshin oofed as he nearly lost his balance. He managed to catch himself and pivoted around with one foot, slamming his shinai across his attacker so hard the weapon cracked down the middle.

"Whoo!" Misao cheered as the thug slumped to the ground, unconscious. "That's the way, Himura! Do it again!"

Kenshin spared Misao a brief glance, this time noting Sano slouched next to her and chewing what looked like a toothpick. "Are you two just going to stand there?" he demanded. He heard something whistle behind him and he instinctively ducked, spinning around to slap the thug on his ribs. His shinai broke under the firm hit and Kenshin looked at it in disgust.

"Keep going! Almost done!" Misao answered cheerfully.

Kenshin wiped the sweat from his forehead before it dripped into his eyes, engaging another opponent by using what was left of the bamboo sword. This meant he had to get closer to them, which also meant he got hurt a lot more.

And then suddenly it was over. No one grabbed him from behind or tried to punch him in the gut. A sea of moaning bodies littered the entrance to the dojo, some twitching uneasily and some bleeding, although mostly from broken noses or scrapes. Kenshin looked around, panting; Yahiko and Kaoru were near by, gulping in air to catch their breaths as well.

"Are you two all right?" Kaoru asked after a moment, lowering her arm. "Yahiko?"

"I'm fine, Busu," he said, wiping a cut on his cheek with the sleeve of his shirt. "Except now my clothes are messed up. My mom isn't going to believe me when I tell her I got dirty while fighting thirty guys."

"I'll explain it all to her," Kaoru said. "Kenshin?"

"Fine. I think." Kenshin dropped his useless bamboo sword and rested his hands on his knees. "I'll let you know in a few days," he added weakly.

"You guys were awesome!" Misao bounded up to him, followed by a smirking Sano. "Especially you, Himura! I didn't know you had it in you!"

He glanced at the beaming woman in exasperation. "Thanks for the help," Kenshin said sarcastically as he slowly caught his breath.

Sano merely smirked at him while Misao sniggered. "Not that you needed it, Himura," Misao said gleefully. "You kicked their butts big time!"

"Had you helped, maybe I wouldn't have gotten _my_ butt kicked in the meantime," he said dryly. Wasn't Misao a weapons master? And Sano definitely held his own in a fight.

"But that was half the fun!" Sano protested.

"We would have helped if you really were in trouble," Misao added.

Kenshin grimaced. He really had to find a new set of friends. Preferably ones who didn't take such joy in seeing him humiliated and in pain.

"Anyway, you were fantastic! You must have put in a lot of practice hours," Sano continued enthusiastically. "You looked like a natural."

Funny, he didn't feel like it. All he remembered was the terror that if he failed, he would not only humiliate himself but Kaoru would be left vulnerable to those thugs. That thought alone had fueled him into moving so quickly. "Yahiko and Kaoru did most of the work," he mumbled.

"Not true, Kenshin. Misao's right, you did a great job." Kaoru gingerly picked her way through the groaning men on the ground and stepped next to him. "I didn't know you had improved so much."

The admiring look Kaoru sent him brought heat rushing through his body and to his cheeks. That gaze was exactly the reason why Kenshin had taken up kendo in the first place. Seeing Kaoru's adoration and impressed look made all the pain worth it.

"Hey, Missy, I think I recognize one of these guys," Sano said, gripping Skull up with a fistful of his shirt and studying the thug closely. He dropped the man on the ground carelessly. "I think I've seen him hang out with people from the Kimio Dojo."

"Didn't we wipe the floor with them in the preliminary round a month ago?" Yahiko asked, kicking a thug as he half-heartedly tried to get up.

"We did." Kaoru tore her gaze away from Kenshin and surveyed the men with a frown. "We had better call the police on this. I don't know what's going on and I don't know what they wanted but they demanded I go with them."

"I'm glad we showed up when we did," Kenshin said quietly. "They could have hurt you badly."

Kaoru flashed a smile over her shoulder. "My hero," she said.

"Okay, enough sap," Misao interrupted impatiently. "I'll call my cousin from the police department. He'll clear this whole mess up and get the entire story from these guys." She grinned down at one of the men. "You guys are going to have _so_ much fun talking to him."

* * *

As witnesses to the incident, Kaoru, Yahiko, and Kenshin were herded down to the police station along with the thugs. When Fujita appeared to speak with them, Kenshin blinked and stared. "We've seen him before, haven't we?"

"He's Fujita Tatsuo's father, the opponent who fought against Yahiko in the district tournament, remember?" Kaoru whispered. Out loud, she said, "Thank you for accepting this case personally, Mr. Fujita."

"Hmph. Anything to get Misao off my back. Tell me what happened, one at a time."

After listening to their accounts separately, Fujita disappeared into the interrogation room with Skull, the supposed gang leader. Ten minutes later, he emerged and lit a cigarette.

"It appears their leader is friends with a sensei at the Kimio Dojo, who wanted Ms. Kamiya kidnapped and to take revenge for the district tournament. I assume you'll want to press charges?" Fujita drawled, blowing out smoke.

"Uh … they confessed already?" Kenshin asked, dumbfounded.

Fujita snorted. "Of course. I am good at my job, Mr. Himura."

"Absolutely. They disrupted my business and attacked my student and fiancé," Kaoru said firmly. "I want them punished for that."

"Fiancé?" Yahiko repeated.

"Fiancé?" Kenshin echoed.

Kaoru glared at them both. "Yes, fiancé," she said testily. "Is there a problem with that?"

Yahiko held his hands up in surrender while Kenshin stuttered, "No, none at all."

"We'll take some official statements from you all and then you'll be released." Fujita nodded curtly and turned away.

Kenshin took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he slumped into the hard plastic chair. He clenched his hands to keep them from trembling. Kaoru eyed him for a moment before turning to Yahiko. "Yahiko, can you get me a cup of coffee, please? Here's some money."

Yahiko snorted. "Why don't you get it yourself?"

Kaoru shot him a glare and shoved the bill into his hand. "Because I'm older than you, that's why. Now go. And take your time." She glanced meaningfully at Kenshin.

Yahiko looked at Kenshin before turning his gaze back to his sensei again. Understanding dawned on his face and he nodded. "Uh, yeah, sure." He turned and hurried out of the room.

Kenshin looked up as Kaoru sat down next to him and took his hand. She unclenched every finger and traced the lines on his palm for a moment before meeting his eyes solemnly. "Kenshin, why did you really decide to take kendo lessons?"

He took in another long breath before releasing it. "I was afraid I was going to lose you," Kenshin said softly. "We don't have very many things in common and I thought if I could understand why you loved kendo so much, it would make our relationship better."

Eyes softening at his confession, Kaoru squeezed his hand gently. "It's all right that we don't have everything in common, Kenshin. And yes, kendo is a huge part of my life, and I'm thrilled that you want to know more about it, but it's not necessary. I love you and everything about you partly because you're so different from me."

The callouses on Kaoru's hand were warm and her grip reminded Kenshin of her strength. "I'm glad. Because honestly, Kaoru? I'm not sure I'm cut out for kendo."

She grinned ruefully. "It's usually not this exciting. We hardly get into real-life brawls and have to use our skills to defend ourselves."

Kenshin eyed her. Kaoru didn't look at all upset or shaken up after the battle. How could she remain so calm? "I don't remember much about the fight," he admitted. Only the sheer terror of Kaoru or Yahiko getting hurt lingered in his mind.

"You had to shut down to fight," Kaoru said matter-of-factly. "It's a perfectly normal reaction. And you did a great job, Kenshin." She leaned forward until he could feel her warm breath curling on his skin. "Look, no one will blame you if you hang up your shinai for good. But if you want to stay with it, that's great, too. It won't affect us in the slightest." Kaoru suddenly grinned. "I'm actually almost hoping you'll give it up. At the rate you're going, you'll be able to surpass me in a few years."

Kenshin raised his eyebrows. "Somehow I doubt that."

"No, really," she insisted. "You looked like a complete natural. Of course there were mistakes but your stance and movement were really good. With a little more training, you'll be able to catch up to Yahiko's level sooner than you think." Kaoru giggled. "Maybe you were a samurai in a previous life."

Smiling at Kaoru's fanciful thoughts, Kenshin closed the inches to kiss her. "I think I'll leave the competition to you and Yahiko. But maybe I'll continue my lessons. You see," he added earnestly, "there's this sensei and she's beautiful, especially when she's holding a shinai."

"Oh?" Kaoru breathed. "Tell me more."

And Kenshin did.

* * *

_AN: Many thanks and much love to **Laegdin** who continues to muddle through the many mistakes I make, no matter how many times I read the draft over. And it's done! I'm so happy it's finished; I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it._


End file.
